[aquarius9]

Hi,

I have been looking at prams and there are a few that I have really liked:
- iCandy Peach
- Stokke
- Bugaboo camleon
- Mountain buggy swift
- Quinny

I want a pram that will be easy to fold and put away in the car, easy to push for long exercise walks, easy to manouvre in shopping centres and on public transport, not too heavy.

Can anyone offer some reviews of these prams?

Thanks

[TiredbutHappy]

I have the Bugaboo Cameleon. Definately not easy to fold (2 pieces) and put in the car, and is a pain on public transport, so much so that I ended up buying the Bugaboo Bee for mum to use when she needed to take DD on a bus. Otherwise it's fabulous to steer, both indoors and out, I still love it and will use it with the next baby, but you definately need a car with a big boot.

[CarrieS]

Hi,

I highly recommend the Baby City Jogger brand of prams.

I have the Baby City Jogger Elite which is a 3 wheeler and very sturdy. It has lots of ventilation, a massive hood to cover baby, full reclining seat, lots of places to pop your purse, mobile, water etc when out walking. The tyres are foam filled which means they cannot puncture. This feature was attractive to me as I live in an area with no footpaths so I am often walking on grass, gravel or the road. It is the easiest pram on the market to fold as it has a one hand folding mechanism. No need to remove tyres or pull pram apart. Fantastic!

The downside is it is quite wide (65cms wheel base) which means there are plenty of cafes and shops you will not be able to go in to. May also be chunky for a bus or tram.

I am looking into a different stroller now, one that I would use soley for going shopping at a shopping centre (so just a cheapy). I take my BCJ Elite into my local Woolies and it is fine. I absolutley love it though when I am out exercising with my babe.

Looking at your requirements, I would consider the BCJ Mini if you were after a 3 wheeler. If I lived somewhere with footpaths I would have got this one as it is abit smaller but with all of the same features.

Good luck!

[BabeBlossom]

I have the Baby Jogger City Mini and love it, there is no isle or checkout too narrow for me to fit through!
It folds with one hand, when DD was a newborn I would have pram packed, baby in car seat and be driving away by the time friends were still putting the 2 pieces of their pram in the car.
I used a Valco Cacoon to keep baby snug and flat as a new born but I know plenty of people just use the seat as is.
Only thing with the City Mini is it doesn't have the big tyres for jogging, its perfect on the walking paths around my house and up and down gutters but might be a bit rough if your constantly over gravel or rocky paths.

[Charli73]

I have a friend with a stokke and she cant walk it on any gravel paths as it has no suspension and it just shakes and vibrates if you know what I mean, so she can only take it on footpaths.. the wheels on it arent exactly made for anything but flat surfaces..

I have a baby jogger city select which is great but not on your list and prob a bit big for your needs, best of luck!

[Rosepickles]

I have the miuntain buggy swift and i love it. Easy to fold and steer and not too heavy. I go on long walks and it is great on rocky surfaces.
The downside is that you cant have the bub facing you unless u have the capsule adjustment, but i think thats the same with most 3 wheelers. I dont use public transport so cant comment really. If i was going to use public transport a lot tho i would prob grt something smaller and lighter.
My friends who have one love it too and one who doesnt said she would buy one for her third bub.
Good luck deciding

[Kitty Fantastico]

I have the mountain buggy swift and I can't recommend it highly enough. It's a piece of cake to fold, I think it weighs 9.5kgs (though it's a bit long when folded). I use it everyday in my hilly suburb and I can push it one handed on dirt tracks. Last week I actually took it on the bus for the first time and while it's a little long, it fits down the bus aisles fine. I bought the bassinet because I wanted DS to face me, but you don't need to if you don't want to. The only problem I've had is tyre punctures but nothing that a bicycle repair kit wont fix. To stop punctures, DH took the tyres off and put in a special lining he bought from a bike shop. Also, the basket isn't that big if you plan on putting lots of things in it.

[aquarius9]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for the replies.

Re: bugaboo cameleon - Yes I thought it was difficult to fold quickly and easily in the store and the 2 pieces makes it more cumbersome.

Re: baby city jogger - I haven't seen one yet - so will need to check it out - sounds good.

Re: Mountain buggy swift - i did think having the baby face you would be important at the beginning - but this is probably solved with the bassinet? Also I have heard that tyre punctures can be a problem. I did like that it was light and seemed to fold easily.

Re: Stokke - interesting that it doesn't do well on uneven surfaces - I hadn't noticed that in the store obviously. It seemed also a bit cumbersome to fold.

Has anyone tried the Quinny or the Icandy peach?

Thanks again for the reviews

[aquarius9]

Also, has anyone got any thoughts about the quality of the prams made in china vs those made in Europe such as the Peg-Perego, Stokke?

[PreachersWife]

My recommendation would be to look at getting TWO prams. I don't know of any prams that fit all your requirements. I have a Bugaboo bee which is light, easy to fold and maneuvers beautifully at the shops/small spots. I also have a Baby Jogger City Elite which I use for long walks. It has suspension, forever air tires (no punctures, no pumping) excellent sun shade and seat big enough for my four year old. It's wider wheel base makes it more stable for uneven ground. It has a neat fold and even better if you pop the wheels off, which means it will fit in the footwell of the back seat of the car. But I wouldn't take it on public transport etc.

That's my opinion after two kids and ten prams!